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Audioholics Featured Reviews
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Onkyo TX-SR805 AV Receiver Review
The Onkyo TX-SR805 represents the current pinnacle of value at its price point. It sounds good, decodes all the latest HD audio codecs, sports a large power supply, has an impressive feature set, THX Ultra2 certification, and Audyssey MultEQ at a price well below what the competition offers. This high level of value is not just limited to this particular model; Onkyo has spread value and features across their entire product line. Onkyo has resurged into the market as a serious player once again and clearly upped the ante with the TX-SR805. Highly recommended.
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EMP ECA-4 & ECA-44 Compact Satellite Speaker System Review
This is a must have solution for any application requiring a compact clutter free and inconspicuously mounted installation. For a limited time, EMP is extending more than 50% off their MSRP plus FREE shipping which makes this system even more attractive and a very uncommon value. So basically $729 gets you 5 high performance compact satellite speakers and their new high power compact e10S subwoofer. This is a “cubed speaker system” killer for well under $1k.
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Recently Reviewed
The impossible; that's what motivates me. In fact, isn't that what motivates all of humanity? The first astronaut in space, an electric powered car, the telephone, the atomic bomb. There are so many examples of people achieving what was once thought the impossible. Our personal impossible achievements may not be on the same level as the printing press, but still the impossible is what drives us. When reviewing the E3350 system by Edifier, I wondered if they set out to achieve the impossible. Did they ask themselves, "Can we make a sound system that is both an audio and visual piece of entertainment? Can our sound system also be its own art collection?" I believe that these questions drove the design of the E3350.
To call the Sierra Sound iN Studio 5.0 speaker system an iPod speaker system would be to miss the point entirely. This is a very well-built, great looking pair of bookshelf speakers that happen to be powered, and also have a built-in iPod dock on top. After living with these speakers in variety of locations around my home and office for several weeks, I found plenty to write about.
You may not need the 3x5 Component Video Matrix Selector Switch (or you may just have a hard time saying it), but there are some that do. The real question is, "Does it work?" The answer is a firm yes. Not only does it perform as advertised, but the interface makes it so easy a… um… well anyone can use it. On top of that, the configuration options are completely open considering that each input can be assigned to each output with a discrete code. So if you have more displays than sources or are thinking of opening up a sports bar, take a close look at the 3x5 Component Video Matrix Selector Switch.
The Creative GigaWorks T40 speaker system is a great solution for people looking for an upgrade to the lousy stock speakers that came with their PC. With a street price of around $125 in many places, the GigaWorks T40 speakers deliver great sound without taking up too much space on your desktop.
Rarely do I come across a display that performs as well as the Samsung LN52A750. At the $3500 asking price, it should perform well. But even a cursory search of the Internet will show you that this unit can be had for a significant discount (as low as $2700 as of the time of publication). The styling cues are dead on - that "Touch of Color" is just enough to make it stand out without being gaudy. The panel is thin enough to be ahead of the curve. But the picture… out of the box I was very impressed. Feature-rich, performance trendsetting, the LN52A750 is an LCD you could spend the rest of your life with.
Incipio Technologies has introduced several new accessories for the Apple iPod Touch and MacBook Air. Since I am the token Mac guy here at Audioholics, I take pride in giving you a glimpse of new accessories aimed at Apple products from time to time, knowing that I am sure to get hammered with equal parts love and hate mail in response.
This is the first DVD player review we've done since the HD disc format war ended with Blu-ray on top. If this player had been released two years ago we'd say that Oppo has broken the price barrier for an affordable high-end universal DVD player and stolen the market. Unfortunately, many consumers are now comparing the features and quality of new DVD players with what they can expect to get from HD products like the Playstation 3. In a case of poor timing, Oppo has released an excellent player, but faces stiff competition for consumer dollars in what may be the last great affordable universal standard definition DVD player to hit the market.
The new SP-A800B DLP projector from Samsung Electronics looks to be a nice addition to the 1080p DLP family, though it lacks some advanced features (like DarkChip3 or horizontal lens shift) we'd expect at its $10k price point. To squeeze out the highest quality home theater experience and color reproduction, Samsung teamed up with Joe Kane, a well-known and highly respected authority on visual imaging equipment and development. We've hung around Joe a few times - the man knows color and so we're expecting Samsung's new DLP projector to really shine in terms of its color accuracy.
invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG is billed as "extreme scratch proof transparent film - the ultimate gadget protection." Rarely do I buy such marketing-speak, but in this case, I would have to say that the product actually lives up to the hype. And then there's the fact that the product comes from military technology, and as you well know, any red-blooded American gadget guy is gonna be interested in a product that began life in the military. With invisibleSHIELD, the protective film was originally designed to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades.
The Denon AVP-A1HDCI represents bleeding edge technology that only a select few manufacturers can compete with regardless of price. This processor truly is a master of all domains. It’s not cheap to own this combo set from Denon, but such is the case with statement pieces and first implementers of new technologies. From its Realta video processing engine, to its sophisticated Audyssey room correction, top notch construction and component usage, you’re getting Mercedes level performance and refinement at Acura prices. Your high end audio snob friends may snicker at this system, especially since they likely spent 2-3 times more for hollow boxes, but I suggest humbling yourself by saying nothing. You don’t want everyone driving the same car you’re driving, do you?
Pro Reviews
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